Manifold heat valve control



March 16, 1948. M. 0. BROWN MANIFOLD HEAT VALVE CONTROL Filed Aug. 24, 1945 INVENTOR. MORRIS C. BROWN Patented Mar. 16 1948 MANIFOLDHEAT VALVE' CONIROL- Morris.- C. Brown, Richmond. Heights, Mm, ,assignerv to... Carter. Carburetor Corporation,.. St.. Louis, Mo.,.a corporation ofllelaware.

Application August'fl l, 1945; Serial No. 6125475 5.0lain1s.v (Cl. 123-122) This. invention:relates;to: fuel mixtureheaters. for internal combustion engines and consists,

particularly, in novel control means therefor;

Internal combustion .enginesiof ':the-. automotive.

type are: customarily provided withhotspots.

wherein. a. portion. of ..the hot:- exhaust" gases 1313B" diverted. into closaproximity; tothe intake unanifold 11 or heating the fuel. mixture priontoadmis sion .into theiengine cylinders. Thexexhaust bypassis. usually controlled by'a vaivetwhich; in;

turn, may be operatedzb'y. a thermostat mounted on they exhaust manifold.

bysuch means is improper under certain circumstances. For instance, it is desirable that more heat be applied to the-mixture when the engine is operating underload than when it isoperating in the economy range or under light load "regardless of the exhaust manifold temperature. This is because in the former casethere is frequently insuificient vacuum in the intake manifold .to:aid.

materiallyin vaporizing the fuel'whilaaintthie latter case; a. relatively highsuction exists. and the fuel is thoroughly atomized thereby.

It is an object of this invention to vary the application of heat to the fuel mixture in accordance with the characteristics thereof as it enters the intake manifold.

Another object is to provide means for varying the heat applied to the mixture in accordance with the load applied to the engine Another object is to provide a thermostatically actuated heat valve of the above type in which the response of the controlling thermostat is modified in accordance with engine suction.

These objects and other more detailed objects hereafter appearing are attained by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is an elevation of a portion of an engine induction and exhaust system, parts being sectioned for clearer illustration.

Fig. 2 is a detail view at 90 of Fig. 1 showing the thermostat housing in elevation.

Fig. 1 shows a carburetor at having a lower flange 6 attached to the riser 1 of a dual intake manifold. Exhaust manifold 8 is connected to engine 9, as at l0, and has a flange H for attachment to the usual exhaust pipe leading to the rear of the vehicle. In the usual practice, one branch ID of the exhaust manifold connects with each adjoining pair of cylinders.

An opening l2' in the upper wall of the exhaust manifold provides for diverting a portion of the hot exhaust gases through the spaces I3 which It" has. been. found; however, that the operation of the hot spot valve 2; surroundithe riser. portion; 7. of..intake manifold. Theystructurebyxwhich the exhaust gases are divertedrabout :thariserxis known as'a hot spot; Formed ontheouter wallof the-hotspotfisahousingrl 4 :receivingra biemetal coiled. thermostat I5 havingfits outer end hooked about. a pin: I6

securedinhousing: cover 11; Apintle. i8 istjournaled inra; recessedzb'oss l9 'on.the inner wallof the housing: and Ania; central aperture in. cover IT; The: inner. endzof thermostat :l 5: is. anchored to this 'pintle. Attached rigidly to the pintle on the outside of the thermostatchamber is an arm 2il whichiszconnectedby alinkz2l to an arm 22 rigid'witha shaft 23-journaled in the walls of the exhaust 1 manifold just below opening I2. A double wingbutterfly -valve 24 carried byshaft 23 so-asto cuntrolQopeninglZ and, consequently, the diversion-ofihot exhaust gases-through the hot spot by-pass:

A port Zti-inthe-wall ofthe thermostat housing admits atmosphere-to-the interior thereof. A suction connection '261eads through the adjacent exhaust space I 3 inthe hot spot and connects the-thermostat housing-with one branch of the intake manifold. Suction transmitted through connection 26 draws cooling air through port 25 past the thermostat and thence into the engine.

The solid line position of valve 24, as shown in Fig. 1, corresponds with the cold position of the thermostat in which substantially the whole volume of exhaust gases is diverted through the hot spot for heating the fuel mixture. As the thermostat is heated, the valve rotates counter-clockwise to the dotted line or hot position in which no exhaust gases are diverted. However, port 25 and suction connection 26 provide for modification of the thermostat action by the cooling air. The rate air is drawn past the thermostat varies in accordance with the intake suction so that the condition of the thermostat and, consequently, the position of valve 24 are likewise varied. For instance, when the engine is operating under a light load and the suction in the intake is relatively high, large volumes of cool air are drawn past the thermostat which tends to move valve 24 towards the cool position and to increase the quantity of gases diverted. Conversely, when the engine is operating under heavier loads, the suction in the intake decreases and, correspondingly, less cooling air is drawn past the thermostat. This tends to cause movement of valve 24 toward the hot position and to reduce the quantity of hot gases diverted through the hot spot. Thus, the heating of the fuel mixture is modified auto- 3 maticallyin accordance with the relative degree of atomization of the fuel mixture.

The invention may be modified in various respects as will occur to those skilled in the art and the exclusive use of all modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims is contemplated.

I claim:

1. In an internal combustion engine, intake and exhaust manifolds, a by-pass for diverting a part of the exhaust from said exhaust manifold in close proximity with said intake manifold, a valve for controlling said by-pass, a thermostat adjacent said exhaust manifold and controlling said valve, said thermostat being exposed to atmosphere, and suction means for drawing air past said thermostat at a variable rate in accordance with the suction in said intake manifold.

2. In an internal combustion engine, intake and exhaust manifolds a by-pass from said exhaust manifold for diverting a portion of the exhaust in close proximity with said intake manifold, a valve controlling said by-pass, a housing mounted adjacent said exhaust manifold, a thermostat in said housing and operatively connected to said valve for controlling the same, there being an orifice in the wall of said housing for exposing said thermostat to atmosphere, and a connection between said housing and said intake manifold for drawing air past said thermostat at a variable rate in accordance with the intake suction.

3. In an internal combustion engine, exhaust and intake manifolds, a by-pass from said exhaust manifold for diverting a portion of the exhaust into close proximity with said intake manifold, a valve controlling said by-pass, a housing adjacent said exhaust manifold, a thermostat in said housing and connected to said valve for controlling the same, there being an opening in the wall of said housing for exposing said thermostat to atmosphere, and a suction connection between said housing and said intake manifold for drawing cooling air past said 4 thermostat at variable rates in accordance with the suction in said intake manifold.

4. In an internal combustion engine, exhaust and intake manifolds, a by-pass from said exhaust manifold for diverting a portion of the exhaust into close proximity with said intake manifold, a valve controlling said by-pass, a thermostat mounted on said exhaust manifold, a housing for said thermostat, there being an opening in the wall of said housing for exposing said thermostat to atmosphere, and a suction connection between said housing and said intake manifold for drawing cooling air through said housing and past said thermostat at a variable rate in ac- V cordance with the intake suction.

5. In an internal combustion engine, exhaust and intake manifolds, a by-pass from said exhaust manifold for diverting a portion of the exhaust into close proximity with said intake manifold, said by-pass merging with the wall of said intake manifold to form a "hot spot, a valve controlling said by-pass, a thermostat mounted on said hot spot, a housing for said thermostat, there being an opening in the wall of said housing for exposing said thermostat to cooling atmosphere, and a suction passage extending from said housing through the exhaust portion of said hot spot and into said intake manifold for drawing atmosphere past said thermostat at a variable rate so as to vary the action of said thermostat and said valve under the influence of exhaust heat in accordance with the intake suction.

MORRIS C. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS- Number Name Date 1,975,093 Firth Oct. 2, 1934 2,005,869 Meinzinger June 25, 1935 

